Medieval miracles: Dragon-slaying saints once healed the land

New research reveals a forgotten side of medieval Christianity—one rooted not in cathedrals, but in fields, forests, and farms. Historian Dr. Krisztina Ilko uncovers how the Augustinian order built its power through “green” miracles: restoring barren land, healing livestock, reviving fruit trees, and taming deadly landscapes once blamed on dragons. Far from symbolic tales, these acts helped rural communities survive and gave the order legitimacy at a time when its very existence was under threat.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/8NMfSex

750-year-old Indian poems reveal a landscape scientists got wrong

Old Indian poems and folk songs are revealing a surprising truth about the land. Scientists found that descriptions of thorny trees and open grasslands in texts written as far back as the 1200s closely match today’s savannas in western India. This suggests these landscapes are ancient and natural—not ruined forests. The discovery could reshape how conservation and tree-planting efforts are planned.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/h8vfzdO

Ancient tools in China are forcing scientists to rethink early humans

Archaeologists in central China have uncovered evidence that early humans were far more inventive than long assumed. Excavations at the Xigou site reveal advanced stone tools, including the earliest known examples of tools fitted with handles in East Asia, dating back as far as 160,000 years. These discoveries show that ancient populations in the region carefully planned, crafted, and adapted their tools to meet changing environments.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/ekT8CqA

A century-old Stonehenge mystery may finally be solved

Scientists have found compelling new evidence that humans, not glaciers, brought Stonehenge’s bluestones to the site. Using advanced mineral analysis, researchers searched nearby river sediments for signs glaciers once passed through the area—and found none. That missing signature strongly suggests the stones were intentionally moved by people. How they did it remains a mystery, but ice is now largely ruled out.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/AuJ7kO0

A lost disease emerges from 5,500-year-old human remains

A 5,500-year-old skeleton from Colombia has revealed the oldest known genome of the bacterium linked to syphilis and related diseases. The ancient strain doesn’t fit neatly into modern categories, hinting at a forgotten form that split off early in the pathogen’s evolution. This pushes the history of treponemal diseases in the Americas back by millennia and shows they were already diversifying long before written records.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/KncbFrI

Ancient people carried a wild potato across the American Southwest

Long before farming took hold, ancient Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest were already shaping the future of a wild potato. New evidence shows that this small, hardy plant was deliberately carried across the Four Corners region more than 10,000 years ago, helping it spread far beyond its natural range.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/cDWkNsB

This new building material pulls carbon out of the air

A new building material developed by engineers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute could change how the world builds. Made using an enzyme that turns carbon dioxide into solid minerals, the material cures in hours and locks away carbon instead of releasing it. It’s strong, repairable, recyclable, and far cleaner than concrete. If adopted widely, it could slash emissions across the construction industry.

from Top Society News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/vEfFUPX